Gilles Peterson is a broadcaster, DJ and record collector who’s played a pivotal role in supporting forward-thinking underground music in the UK and beyond over the past three decades. He hosts weekly primetime Saturday afternoon show on BBC Radio 6 Music that’s one of the broadcaster’s most popular music shows, helms independent record label Brownswood Recordings, and is the founder of online radio station Worldwide FM.
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When are you happiest?
I go running a lot and I did a half Marathon last week in the north of England. And the moment when I’ve done that, I achieved that – that’s such a great Buzz. I mean the happiest Moment of my life was probably when I finished the London Marathon. And that even overcomes the Happiness of having children, because children is a different thing. It’s kind of a more emotional kind of thing in a different way, it’s kind of like “Oh my god” and also “Oh great” in two ways, it’s also shocking. But this is just pure, pure happiness. So that’s when I’m happiest.
What motivates you?
These situations, you know, just being able to keep travelling and keep finding and discovering. I just love the “Echange” with people and with what I do as a DJ. Especially I suppose all DJ’s are frustrated Musicians in a one way or the other and I think for me I was very lucky to find my mission in life very early in life, which is really to give people the same experience that I had that was very pure and strong: listening to Jazz Music. And it might sound a bit funny but when I was fifteen and I could listen to Art Blakey, ”A night in Tunisia”, the spirit of that and the spirit of John Coltrane and all that music – I think that I’ve been on that same mission ever since, really. That’s really what is my motivation.
Which city or cities are centers of creativity and inspiration for you?
In 2012 London has definitely always been Number one and I don’t see that changing. Because London is this amazing, pure, cultural mix-up which, mixed with a big history and there’s always been sort of a radical, punk ethos about London where people are quite sort of “anti-establishment” so if you put all those things together – and also it’s a City that keeps growing, not like Paris which is restricted. So I’d say London, but also Berlin. It has elements that London has got in terms of youth and a feeling of being able to grow. For my recent travels I’d say Los Angeles, it’s quite an interesting place, I’d go there. I’d never thought I’d say that before. I would live there actually, not now, but if I was 23 and leaving school and I went to travel, LA would be quite an interesting place. It’s a place that I kind of always had a big problem with because of the “plasticness” of it. But once you get over that there’s a lot of positive and interesting creativity going on there, for sure. Great People as well.
I don’t really know Istanbul that well, I’ve never spent time here, but I think its one of the most interesting and mysterious places in the world. I only have stayed 2 or 3 days but I think it still has that kind of oldness. Vienna is another place that I think is a really great place. It’s a little bit mysterious, it’s not quiet EU-d. You can go there and you can hide there and its quite a good thinking scene, philosophical scene. And I find the people there quite curious. So I think its an interesting place.
Asia. I’m not big on China. I think China is changing. It is still so new to capitalism that it’s still very vulgar and money led. So there hasn’t been a lot of room for the under culture and the roots for street art. Japan is always super inspirational for me. I think it’s going through a difficult time and there is less going on and I think they are frightened about that and haven’t changed their focus from being Americanized to being more Chinarized and that’s having an effect on the culture and the media and the business that I’m inspired by.
Those are my places. Another great place for me is New Zealand. I love going there. Auckland is a great place, great city.
For you, what does Istanbul stand for?
DJ Yakuza.
Which era would you have preferred to live in?
I would have loved to have lived in 1960s New York. But I love living in my era.
What is your current source of inspiration?
The biggest inspiration I’ve had has been with musicians who have been musicians for over 40 years, 50 years. People like…Bobby Womack..I’m in a privileged position where I meet all these people now because of my role at the BBC and they come to London and so I get the interviews. I got to meet Bobby Womack, Randy Weston, Marcos Valle, Shuggie Otis and these people – I mean the young generation needs to spend time with them because they are absolute prophets. They lived life, they understand the struggles. The young generation thinks they have experienced everything by pressing a button. And these guys have lived it and I think my inspiration at the moment has been meeting these guys and continuously meeting them.
Your favorite place to visit to get ideas?
Tokyo.
Your most cherished possession?
My family and my Terry Callier albums.
How would you describe your world in 3 words?
Run, run, run.
Key moment in your life?
Well actually I had a key moment on Wednesday this week. I think it probably was quite key because I had to go to the University of Nottingham and I was given an honorary Arts Masters degree. The reason it was quite significant for me was that I was suddenly coming out of my kind of music world into Academia. I have never had an academic life cause I was already DJing at 15, 16 so I never followed that life. Having to be accepted into be doing something academic was quite impressive for me I have to say. I’ve got an MA now.
How did that happen?
Basically a doctor who teaches there put me forward, they do this every year. I had to wear the hat, the cape and everything. There were thousands of students who got their thing. I was one of two specially honored people. I had to stand up there and shake people’s hands. (laughs)
Favorite artist of all times?
I love Wayne Shorter because he is a survivor and he is still as good now as he was 40 years ago.
How will you be remembered?
A friendly voice on the radio. Maybe not friendly, I don’t know. (laughing)
What can’t you live without?
Football.
What’s on repeat on your iPod?
I really like the Kendrick Lamar album. That’s been on repeat.
How about Frank Ocean?
Yeah it’s between those two.
What’s your motto?
Searching for the perfect beat.
What is always in your fridge?
Truffles. No, no. (laughing) Asahi Super Dry (Japanese beer)
What would you title your autobiography?
Joining the dots.
Is there a creative activity that you want to pursue that you have been postponing? What is it?
Sports journalism. Any sport. I love that. That’s the job I’d love to do.
If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional. with whom would it be?Arsène Wenger (Coach of Arsenal). He’s my teacher. (laughs)